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Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

It's been reported in the news recently that UK public health officials are recommending we should all take vitamin D supplements as the majority of people aren't getting enough of it through diet and sunshine.

According to the BBC news article one in five adults and one in six kids in England have low vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is what we're lacking according to experts

Low levels of this vitamin can lead to rickets in children and brittle bones. The government are recommending anybody above the age of one to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day, because research is suggesting we're not getting enough of it through our diets and sunlight which are the two main sources of the important vitamin.

It can be found in foods such as eggs, cereals, red meat and oily fish, but the bulk of vitamin D comes from our time in the sun. This summer has been absolutely pants to put it bluntly, with lots of humid and rainy weather and very little sunlight so I know my vitamin D levels must be lower than usual already.

Sunshine is a great source of vitamin D

There are some at-risk groups that should take the vitamin daily, which includes pregnant/breastfeeding women and people aged 65 and over. Black, Asian and Mixed Parentage people (like myself) as well as children aged up to four are also advised to take the supplement all year round.

Apparently these supplements can be free of charge for low-income families through the Healthy Start Scheme so it's worth finding out from your local pharmacy.

For more advice about vitamin D to see if you and your children are getting enough, go to the NHS England website.